Fermented Vegetables for Gut Health

Overseen By Danielle G Lemay, PhD

Age: 18+

Sex: Any

Trial Phase: Academic

Sponsor: USDA, Western Human Nutrition Research Center

Must not be taking: Immunosuppressants, Biologics, Antidiabetics, Diuretics

Disqualifiers: Hypertension, Diabetes, Cancer, Auto-immune, others

No Placebo Group All trial participants will receive the active study treatment (no placebo)

Compensation: Varies

Number of Visits: 3

24 Participants Needed

Trial Summary

What is the purpose of this trial?

The purpose of this research is to determine the effect of fermented vegetable consumption on LAB abundance and tolerability of the intervention in young healthy people before conducting a full RCT with older participants.

Will I have to stop taking my current medications?

The trial excludes participants who have used certain medications recently, such as antibiotics, antifungals, antivirals, and some immune system drugs. If you are taking these or similar medications, you may not be eligible to participate.

What data supports the effectiveness of the treatment Fermented Vegetables for gut health?

Research suggests that fermented foods, like those in the trial, can have health benefits due to their probiotic effects, which help balance gut bacteria. Some studies have shown that fermented foods like kefir can improve gut health by aiding in digestion and reducing harmful bacteria. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

Are fermented vegetables safe for human consumption?

Fermented vegetables are generally considered safe for human consumption, with few negative reports. They have been part of the human diet for thousands of years and are known to have potential health benefits, although more research is needed to fully understand their effects. ^{2 6 7 8 9}

How do fermented vegetables improve gut health compared to other treatments?

Fermented vegetables are unique because they contain natural probiotics (beneficial bacteria) like Lactobacillus, which can enhance gut health by improving digestion and boosting the immune system. Unlike other treatments, they are a natural food source that can be easily incorporated into the diet, providing both nutritional benefits and promoting a healthy gut microbiome. ^{10 11 12 13 14}

Research Team

Bess L Caswell, PhD

Principal Investigator

USDA, Western Human Nutrition Research Center

Danielle G Lemay, PhD

Principal Investigator

USDA, Western Human Nutrition Research Center

Mary E Kable, PhD

Principal Investigator

USDA, Western Human Nutrition Research Center

Eligibility Criteria

This trial is for young, healthy individuals interested in the effects of fermented vegetables on gut health. Specific eligibility criteria are not provided, but typically participants should have no major health issues that could interfere with the study.

Inclusion Criteria

BMI between 18.5 and 39.9 kg/m2

Exclusion Criteria

Consumption of probiotic supplements, foods, or drinks in the past month

My blood pressure is not higher than 140/90 mmHg.

Pregnant or breastfeeding individuals

Timeline

Baseline

Participants complete a 1-week baseline with no fermented food intake

1 week

1 visit (in-person)

Intervention

Participants consume fermented vegetables for 4 days

4 days

1 visit (in-person)

Follow-up

Participants undergo a 1-week follow-up period with no fermented food intake

1 week

1 visit (in-person)

Treatment Details

Interventions

• Fermented Vegetables

Trial Overview The study investigates how eating fermented vegetables affects beneficial bacteria (LAB) in the gut and how well people tolerate this diet change. It's a preliminary step before a larger trial targeting older adults.

Participant Groups

Group I: Fermented vegetable consumption Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

Participants will complete a 1-week baseline with no fermented food intake, followed by a 4-day fermented vegetable intervention, and then a 1-week follow-up period with no fermented food intake.

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

USDA, Western Human Nutrition Research Center

Lead Sponsor

Trials

64

Recruited

19,100+

Findings from Research

Kefir is the most studied fermented food, showing potential benefits for lactose malabsorption and eradicating Helicobacter pylori based on randomized controlled trials (RCTs).

Overall, there is limited clinical evidence supporting the health benefits of most fermented foods for gastrointestinal health, highlighting the need for more high-quality clinical trials despite promising in vitro results.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Fermented Foods: Definitions and Characteristics, Impact on the Gut Microbiota and Effects on Gastrointestinal Health and Disease. Dimidi, E., Cox, SR., Rossi, M., et al.[2021]

Fermentation processes, both in food production and the gastrointestinal tract, produce compounds that can significantly impact consumer health, highlighting the importance of selecting specific food-fermenting microbes to enhance nutritional value.

The gut microbiota plays a crucial role in generating health-active molecules, and dietary choices can modulate this activity, suggesting that a multidisciplinary approach is essential for understanding how diet and microbes interact to benefit health.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Impact of microbial transformation of food on health - from fermented foods to fermentation in the gastro-intestinal tract. van Hylckama Vlieg, JE., Veiga, P., Zhang, C., et al.[2011]

Fermented foods, like yogurt and kimchi, not only improve shelf life and safety but also enhance nutritional value and functional properties due to the transformation of their ingredients during fermentation.

Emerging evidence suggests that fermented foods may offer health benefits beyond their original ingredients, potentially due to the presence of live microorganisms similar to probiotics.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Health benefits of fermented foods: microbiota and beyond. Marco, ML., Heeney, D., Binda, S., et al.[2018]

Fermented foods have been part of human diets for nearly 10,000 years and contain unique microorganisms that can positively influence gut health.

These foods can impact the gut microbiome both in the short and long term, making them an important component of a healthy diet.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Fermented Foods, Health and the Gut Microbiome. Leeuwendaal, NK., Stanton, C., O'Toole, PW., et al.[2022]

Lactic acid fermentation, especially when combined with germinated cereals, can enhance the nutritional quality and safety of weaning foods by providing high nutrient density and antimicrobial properties.

The workshop identified key research priorities, including understanding the effects of fermentation on harmful microorganisms and mycotoxins, optimizing fermentation processes, and improving food safety practices for better consumer acceptance of fermented foods.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Food fermentation: a safety and nutritional assessment. Joint FAO/WHO Workshop on Assessment of Fermentation as a Household Technology for Improving Food Safety. Motarjemi, Y., Nout, MJ.[2022]

References

1. Switzerland pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Oral intake of Lactiplantibacillus pentosus LPG1 Produces a Beneficial Regulation of Gut Microbiota in Healthy Persons: A Randomised, Placebo-Controlled, Single-Blind Trial. [2023]

2. Switzerland pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Fermented Foods: Definitions and Characteristics, Impact on the Gut Microbiota and Effects on Gastrointestinal Health and Disease. [2021]

3. England pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Impact of microbial transformation of food on health - from fermented foods to fermentation in the gastro-intestinal tract. [2011]

4. England pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Lactic acid bacteria and human health. [2022]

5. England pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Health benefits of fermented foods: microbiota and beyond. [2018]

6. Switzerland pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Microorganisms in Whole Botanical Fermented Foods Survive Processing and Simulated Digestion to Affect Gut Microbiota Composition. [2022]

7. Switzerland pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Fermented Foods, Health and the Gut Microbiome. [2022]

8. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Microbial Ecology of Fermented Vegetables and Non-Alcoholic Drinks and Current Knowledge on Their Impact on Human Health. [2021]

9. Switzerland pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Food fermentation: a safety and nutritional assessment. Joint FAO/WHO Workshop on Assessment of Fermentation as a Household Technology for Improving Food Safety. [2022]

10. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Fermented fruits and vegetables of Asia: a potential source of probiotics. [2022]

11. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Vegetable fermentations brined with low salt for reclaiming food waste. [2022]

12. England pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Lactic acid bacteria naturally associated with ready-to-eat rocket salad can survive the human gastrointestinal transit. [2023]

13. Netherlands pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Selection and characterization of mixed starter cultures for lactic acid fermentation of carrot, cabbage, beet and onion vegetable mixtures. [2019]

14. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

In vitro fermentation properties of selected fructooligosaccharide-containing vegetables and in vivo colonic microbial populations are affected by the diets of healthy human infants. [2018]